Transfer of liquefied gases



May 14, 1935. w. SALNIKOFF I TRANSFER OF LIQUEFIED GASES Filed April 5.1933 /nvenl'or: M 929/17 11%;?

as in buoys and the like.

Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRANSFER OF LIQUEFIEDGASES Application April 5, 1933, Serial No. 664,673

In Germany 2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to a method of transferring liquefiedgases and especially to a method of transferring such gases which areused for operating floating signal systems In such cases it is necessaryto effect the transfer of the gas from the usual transportation drumswith exclusion of air.

It has already been proposed to effect the transfer in such a mannerthat the gas from the transportation drum is completely vaporized andthen forced by a pump under pressure and cooling into the vessel to befilled. However, this method has the drawback that the entire gas, whichis in a liquefied state in the transportation drum as well as in thestorage vessel, must be completely vaporized for the purpose oftransfer, which results in a great loss of time and is moreoveruneconomical.

The present invention solves the problem in question by drawing theliquefied gas out of the transportation drum into the storage vesselwhereby only that portion of the gas, which is converted into a gaseousstate during the transfer, is forced by pressure and cooling into anempty transportation vessel and is again liquefied. According to thismethod, the greater portion of the liquefied gas is transferred withoutchange of state which constitutes a much quicker and more economicaloperation.

In the case, wherein the storage vessel has only one filling opening,the transferring method comprises the following steps:

Connecting the transportation drum with a vessel through a piping,connecting the vessel with a pump for compressing and conveying gas,evacuating the vessel by means of the said piping and the pump, forcingthat part of the gas, which is vaporized during the passage of theliquefied gas from the transportation drum into the vessel, through acooled connection betweenthe vessel and a second transportation druminto the said second transportation drum wherein the gas is againliquefied, connecting the vessel with a storage vessel, connecting thepressure side of the said pump with the vessel, forcing the liquefiedgas out of the vessel into the said storage vessel through the saidconnections by means of the gas pump, the second transportation drumcommunicating with the suction side of the pump,'whereby the gas whichis again liquefied in the second transportation drum is vaporized andassists the working of the pump.

May 12, 1932 The invention will now be described with reference to thedrawing.-

The figure shows diagrammatically the transfer of the liquefied gas to avessel having only one opening.

The figure shows how a storage vessel with one filling opening can befilled according to the invention.

a indicates the transportation drum to be transferred. s is the vesselto be filled. Vessel 10 e plays the role of an intermediate container.There is provided between a and s a pipe 0 having cocks b and r and alsoa branch pipe which latter leads through a valve (1 into theintermediate container e. In this branch pipe, the valve d is provided.That part of the intermediate container e, which is free from liquefiedgas under all working conditions, communicates through the pipe g withvalve. 1 and another adjoining pipe having the cocks h, i, l, m with thepump it and thence through pipe 12 with the cooling coil t and secondtransportation drum 0 through a valved pipe p. The pipe with the cocksh, i, 1, m renders it possible to connect the intermediate container eselectively. to the suction or pressure side of the pump k. .If desired,the second transportation drum 0 may be connected in a similar manner toopposite sides of the pump k.

The apparatus operates in the following manner:

First of all, the cocks 1', i and Z are closed, the cocks d, I, h, m andp are opened, the pump is and the cooling device t are set in operationand the apparatus evacuated. The cock I) is then opened whereupon theliquefied gas is sucked in a liquid state into the intermediatecontainer e. The partially vaporized gas is drawn away in front of thepump it and forced through the cooling device it into the emptytransportation drum 0 and the gas is again liquefied. If theintermediate container ,e is full, the cooks b, h' and m will be closedand r, l and iopened, the cooling'device t will be disconnected and thenthe pump will force the 5 to another liquefied gases with exclusion ofatmospheric air, such gases being intended for burning or illuminatingpurposes and having a comparatively high boiling point or a slightover-pressure at room temperature, the gas being stored in a liquefiedstate; said plant comprising, in combination with supply drum andstorage vessel, a valved conduit between said supply drum and storagevessel, a second drum and a second valved conduit between said storagevessel and said second drum, a cooling device and a gas compressing pumpin the second conduit, adapted to vaporize the gas and evacuate it fromsaid storage vessel and conveying the vaporized gas to the second drumthrough said cooling device wherein the gas becomes reliquefied, anintermediary container inserted in the conduit between said storagevessel and the gas pump, and having connection with said first conduit.

2. A method of transferring from a drum to a storage vessel liquefiedgases in a substantially liquefied condition with exclusion of aizysaidgases being intended for burning or illuminating purposes and having acomparatively high boiling point or a slight overpressure at roomtemperature, the gas being stored in a liquefied state in said storagevessel; the said method consisting in connecting the drum with a vesselthrough a piping, connecting that part of the vessel which is alwaysfree from liquefied gas with a pump for compressing and conveying gas,evacuating the vessel by means of the said piping and the said pump,forcing that part of the gas, which is vaporized during the passage ofthe liquefied gas from the drum into the vessel, through a cooledconnection between the vessel and a second drum into the said seconddrum wherein the gas is again liquefied, connecting the vessel with astorage vessel, connecting the pressure side of the said pump with thatpart of the vessel, which is always free from liquefied gases, forcingthe liquefied gas out of the said vessel into the said storage vesselthrough the said connections by means of the said gas pump, the'seconddrum communicating with the suction side of the pump, the piping betweenthe vessel and the second drum being not cooled during this period ofoperation whereby the gas which is liquefied again in the second drum isvaporized and assists the working of the pump.

WADIM SALNIKOFF.

